Last.



WITNESSES E. 0. KRENTLER.

LAST.

PPLEQATIDH Hmm ras. 25, 1901.

Patented Feb. 1, 1910.

A INVENTUR By @aA/U41 Yab'- Artofney-s.

'UNITED STATES PATEN T @FFI-GE.

'EDWIN o. KRENTLER, or DETROIT, in` i HGAN, ASSLGNOR TO KREIITL'YER-ARNOLD Einen LAST COMPANY, or DETROIT., MICHIGAN. A CORPORATION orarcmenn.

LAST;

Specicatqn of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1910.

Application med February 25, 1901. Serial No. 43,773..

' companying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This. intention relatesto lasts, and primarilyto first lasts adapted for use in the mannactnrepof shoes. and more particularly in the manufactlire of turn shoes, the

greatzadvantaffe and p1 incipal object of the inyentiongin vthis respect, residing in having the last' capable of contracting and expand1 ing its waist; measurements so that. in the latter positionV the last-measurements at the waist or" the last exactly correspond to the shoe-waist measurements, the last being then in exactly correct -Shoe-filling or full-waist position, whereas the contraction of the last :it its instep provides the Shoemaker with room enough for his lining knife in straight;- cning ont the wrinkles in the shoe after the vamp has been turned. In making turn shoes, after the shoe is all sewed together and lasted, it is turned and relasted, the upper then being in its tinislied relation with the outside of the shoeV outward,`and it has been customary in relasting with a block last to .force the last in as far as possible by hand and then pound severely downward on the heel of the last to force the last. thereby into seated position within tlie shoe, the result being that the shoe-upper is carried forward severely by the last and is compelled to yield in a forward direction so that the toe-part of the leather is distorted and is Sometimes carried bcyondfthesole, changing and destroying the proper contour-of the toe.

The chief object. of the present; invention is te provide means' .for renderingtms result impossible, and this is accomplished by providing a construction of last: in which the waist and ball measurements of the last are all reduced r"hen the last is collapsed, t'. 6.,.35. the heel-part moves. upwardly so that the last is coilapsedor shortened. By having the waist and ball measurements thus reduced when the heel is moved into collapsed or shortened position. it follows that there is 'ot' the shoe.

no ditiicnltyA Whatever -in placing the forepart by hand into proper position in the shoe. The operator then runs his smoothing knife around between the reduced fore- Apartei' the last and the comparatively limp or nonstretched upper, removing all wrinkles in the leather, and when the fore; part is in absolutely correct position in the shoe and the upper is in correct `position on the torepart, the heel-part of the last is lowered or moved down into the heel of the shoe, and the instep part of the last expands and is locked in absolntelycorrect and un- .t'arying .full-waist position, so'that, instead of stretching the upper toward the toe as before, the upper is simply stretched outwardl und circainferentially at the Waist and bal As my invention entirely eliminates the forward movement of the leather than is no unequal strain on the eyelets or button-holesand no tendency to distort the sha eor style My invention inclu'es means for holding or lockingthe full-waist fore part measurements fn'niform or always the same under all conditions of use, irres ;eetve of whatever .external pressure may be applied on the shoe in the course of the treeing and finishing operations Besides the above tw'o leading features of my invention, further important features of the preferred embodiment of the invention reside in making the last sntliciently strong for a first last notwithstanding the fact that it is made ontof wood and is cnt away to a considerable 'extent in its interior, this strength being secured by raising the slot or longitudinalrnt which separates tlic.rear part of the instep block from the lgtii'er portion of the forepart, ,on or above the line of the widest or mostv laterally extendedvportion of the last n hen .viewed on the inside thereof, and by forming the instep block integrally with the bodyof the {o repaiit at the toe end of the. ins-iep block, the straight grain of the last at the-latter point provid ing other advantages. as more fully pointed outhereinafter.

Fnrther minor featnres'of`my invention, as hereinafter claimed, are embodied in the preferred construction shown in the drawings.

In the drawings z-Figure l shows, in side elevation, my last. in all its preferred details, parts being-broken away for elearness of illustration: Fig. 2 is a similar View in lll.

` side elevation partly broken away, but show partt being divided partl through troni the hinge end toward the toe T by a slot u so as to provide an instep block B and a forepart body C containing the bali of the last and extending haelt ot' the waist at the hollow of the foot, the instep block B connecting integrally with the toe T by a straightgrained portion a of the solid unsevered wood of the last. The separate heel-part H is connected to the forepart by any usual oi' preferred nieans, so long as the main .ifeaturesof my invention as set forth in the tol lowing elainis'are einhodied in the last, inasiiiucli as l re'rard in v invention as broadlg.-

new in the proniinent features previously 'mentioned in the introductory` part ot this description, irrespective of whatever variations may be resorted to as to other details or structural features of the last.

liiV the last of the drawings, the heel-part H is joined to the i'oiepart by a knuckle joint. A hinge plate li, setting into a saw t lierf cut vertically in the heel-part and in the forepart, is secured by pins or rivets 6.1:, in the heel-part and .by a pivot pin d in the body portior of the forepart. The hinge plate /i is provided with a curved slot e iii that portion of said plate which extends into a vertical ltei'f provided in the rear end of the instep block B of the orcpart, and a pin 1 f passes through said rear end of the instep 'block B and said slot e of the hinge plate li.

This 'curved slot e is so shaped that when the pin f is at the outer end of said slot as shown in Fig. l, the pin is engaged by both sides of the slot which extends in a general direction transverse to the radius from the pivot d to said pin f, so that.- the instep block is thereby positively locked iininovably in its full-waist position'so that the last is held in its true full-waist slioe-tilliiig condition for stretching or shaping a shoe upper to the exact measurements which the finished shoe is intended tio have.

when the last is not in lengthened position with its heel-part down as shown in Fig. l.

4external pressure on the shoe can change the position of the instep block or reduce the full-waist ineasurenieiits of the last, because in v construction positively holds the parts ot' tht` last iii this uiivarviiig position. preferred iiieuiis for accomplishing this consisis ol' the slotted plate :nid pin iiiechanisin described. To assure this uiivarying relation of the parts and prevent disturbing it liv an accidental nioveinent of the heel-part, l preferablj,v eniploy a further locking device, that herein lshown consisting ot' a button or latch n1. pivoted to the rear vertical wall XY of the instep block B in position to tit tightly in a notch n which is cnt into the iop edge oic the hinge plate It in p'sition to rereive said latch when the last is in fullv leizgtlencd position. This latch turned down by the operator into said notch, and is desirable when the last is used for lasting as it prevents the heel-part from collapsing and `pending while the operator is using it.

The rear portion of the slot e is made wider hack of the point e' to the point el so 'that the required movements of the instep block shall not be obstructed and said slot is closed at its outer end to give strength. The lower wall of said curved slot is eccentric or cain shaped with refe ence to the pivot pin Z on which the forepsirt and heelpart relatively turn, and the radial distance troni theicenter of said pin (Z to the point c' The l on the curve of said lower wall is greater.

l some portion of the lower surface of the curi-ed slot` e between the point e and the point e3 bears against the point f and holds the rear end of the instep block l in the fuli-waist position already described. positiveljv` spread roin the rear end of the hall part oribodv portion C ofthe last.- W'hen the last is bent to the position shown in Fig. 2 the pin f passes to. soine point back i of the point c and allows the rear part of the instep block B to close ,toward the body portion C of the forepait-aiid the closure g is brought about by the spring action of the This in one. means,` and the preferred means, of carrying out the principal feature of niv invention, whereby,

unsevered portion a' that unites the instep block and the toe-part' 'l` together, in the construction shown in Fig. 2. The unsevei'ed instep block connected with the toe-part iii i the way described, is constructed by forming 5 the last and block together in the first in` i stance, and sawing a thin strip of wood that pelled to :issiiniethis position with ahsolute'j accuracy and uniformity under all condiis shaped somewhat like the half of a cres- -cent from between the upper and lower parts, and this leaves the entire upper sur face of the last. snicofh, and produces a last with only two partsof wood and practically with only two parts, united of course by the tions and so to :einain as long as the last is in llengtheneo position, for it will'be obvious 3 that; no ainoint of'rubbirg, treeing, or :trier iieeessnryhinge plate, and hinge pins which h the plate in place.

,11i-, tif-:f las; is rst moved to shortened ments, in which position the instep nl ocl: is

position, with the waist measurements reduced by having the instep block and body portion of the forepart toward each other' as shown in Fig. placed by hand in the shoe; f the last isV being used in connection with the manul facture of turn shoes, .the operator, before turning the heel-part ll down into the heel' of the shoe, runs his smoothing knife all around the forepartv in the space which the collapsing of the forepart leaves between the instep block and the vamp or upper. Having smoothed out al1 the wrinkles from the upper in this manner, hev turns the heel-partof the last down into the heel of'the shoe. This movement permitsthe foreparttocome' expanded, full-waist measure-v inunovably locked automatically b v the cooperation o f the pin fand the narrow 'fon ward end of the slot'e, assliown in Fig. l, and isl further locked by the locking device nu' when this preferred construction is'u's'ed. T he shoe manufacturer thenl proceeds with no danger whatever of any yielding or changing of thev last measurements at anv point. The last is strong, durable, stable and easily operated. These lasts, although specially useful in the manufacture of turn shoes, are adapted to general vu'se. I have mentioned "the manufacture of turn shoes because. these lasts. have proved of the' mest service in that connection, where it is essential 'that the uppers shall be heid smoothly and firmly distended at allpoins' and especially about the instep and waist portion of the last.

The measurement about the instep and Waist must remain uniform. I. provide means for restoring the last invariably to the same measurement every time it is extended,

` vand for maintaining said uniform-measure? ment under all conditions irrespective of external handling o r pressurdgind this is the main feature of my invention irrespective of whatever' other variations or changes. in the construction or kind of last may be resorted to'. The reason for changing the waist measurement, z'. e., for contracting the forepart, is to enable the forepart to be lmserted into or removed'from a shoe. it being necessary to contract or decrease .the measurement of the last at Vthis point in orderV to permit the upper leather of the shoe to accor-nuodate itself to the larger bail meas urements o the last, and my invention pro-- vides means for automatically accomplishing this contracting of the waist measure ments oiafxe last and restoring said measurem'ent to :Sull-waist position `in connection with the shortening and lengthening of the .last'when the heel-part moves with relation to the forepart.

In the old-fashioned block iast .`the oper ator simply pulled ont the removable instep 2, and the lastis then this part .slot e concentric to the pivotl d,

'complete last structure', to wit, in the swinging variety of divided or multi-part lasts,

and in that. variety in which th'e instep block gets its contracting and expanding 'move nient by swinging with relation to the body of the forepart,V my invention is nevertheless notto be restricted, 2in thehroader aspects of of the invention", to these forms of embodiment. but includes the application of this part of the invention'to any and all kinds of shortening and lengthening lasts' to which it is capableof being applied, and is therefore not restricted, unless otherwise specifically stated in any particular claim, to a. last whose parts are hinged to swing, c0'nnected.to slide, or otherwise. TVherever a forepart and heel-part are transvereely separated .and provided `with connecting neans permitting shortening and lengthenf ing movement, and'the forepart- 'has a movable instep block, and means cooperating with the lengthening movement of the last to move the instep block from contracted waist position to full-waist position and to Vlock thelast thus i. e.,'in shoe-filling position, l consider that it comes within the spirit and scope of myinvention.

In further explanation, I prefer to make the forward narrow portion or end of the mately tothe point e',

hereby permitting the heelpart to be turned partially out of the heel-part of the shoe before the collapsing movement of the instep block B.' Itwill be understood that when the last is in ',a shoe. in the position`-sl1ownin 'Fig'. 1. considerable pressure' is required to start the heel-part of, the Shoe', preparatory-to rev moving the last, but. that when 'once started it moves more freely. ,The shape of the forward 'portion of the slot' e permits all the initial pressure to lbe devoted to'starting 'the heel-part. The' hinge .plate is approximately square at its rear endor at least exi tends rearwardly and'backwardly sutiiclently to 'permit the rivet b to be locatedln' from .the froritbeveled face of the heel-part a considerable distance, and up from the curved contacting surfaces of "he `{nuckle or rear lower end of the. forcparz a still greater distance, the pin c being located in the lower rear corner of said plate in a line with pivot d approximately parallel to the bottom of the heel-part, the result of this construction being that great strength is obtained forre- Asisting leveling pressures, etc., the plane of approxi- Y ico liu

also coperating to this end, said plane being approximately` long and preferably slighliy forward of a radius from the pivot (l to-the forward upper corner of the heelpart. The result is that there is a considerable thickness of heel-part wood forward of the plane including the two pins I), d, and likewise between said' pins. The breaking strain (sueltas occurs under the leveler, for instance) comes in the direct line of the plane last mentioned, and, therefore, it will be obvious that my consti-action gives great. resisting strength, dac to the location'of the rlvet Zz. andthe piir c with relation to the pivot d, taken in conne-:tion with the overhanging shape or forwardlyy extendingportion of the heel-part. I have already mentioned also that the saw cut or slot av terminates at a point which leaves a straight: grained portion a' for connecting the lower integral end of the instep block with the rest of the forepart, and a further feature of said slot a residesin locating the same sufciently high and on a proper curve to provide a thick heavy lower bod)7 portion C of the torenart. especially at the waist at the rearof the ball of the last, the curvature and location of the slot av following along and slightly above the widest or most laterally extended portion of the last on the inside thereof, This also restricts all the upand-down stretching movement to the top side of the forepart and of the vamp, and it prevents interference with the 'style of the shoe, due to tba: movement ot' the block, and it avoids lia/ving the cnt at or intersecting a 'protuberance of the last (such, for instance, as the toe joint).

lt nill be understood that man): features of my invention are not; restricted to the kind of hinged last shown. but may be used with various kinds of hinged, and divided, or multipart lasts. .l do not claim to be the inventor ot' 'the collapsible hinged last broadly considered tsaid invention belong ing to Charles l". P vin. Patent Xo. GTISSSl-l;

but my claims relate to the improvements. hereinafter more partitnlarly specified. and also pointed out in general terms above, for perfecting such a last to meet all the exacting retpiiremcnts ot' use and making it comincri'iaily practicable and durable, at once be seen that. by my construction, an expanded last cannot be collapsed by any usual pressure upon the instep block.v the latter cannot be externally shifted in any direction or to any extent whatever, the heelpart likewise maintain` its proper operative position at all times. and on the other hand when the last is collapsed it tends to remain collapsed as' long as desired, for removal from the shoe or forinsertion therein, and

' the last, moreover. is not only extremenY stable, but likewise strong, has a smooth exter- It will,

Vcnt of the beveled front end of the heel-pat'- nal surface. and cannot readily shift its parts or get out of position. In other words, the object ot' my invention is to make this kind of a last strong,"dtuable, and unyifL-ld ing in use, like a solid block-last, and yet re.- tain the advantages of the collapsible last.. h

A transversely divided last, comprising a heel-part. a separate fore-part having an instep blot-lt integrally connected at its lower forward end to the wood of the remaining portion ot the fore-pa1t,and a connecting device connecting said heel-part and fore-part and providing for a longitudinal abutting lengthened position of said heel-part and fore-part and a relativelyv vertical movement tor shortened. positiom said last having provision for contracting said instep bloat as the last shortens by the said relatively .ver-

tical movement ot' said heel-part and forepart. l

9. A hinged last. comprising a heel-part, a separate fore-pa rt having an instep block integrally connected at its lower .forward end to the wood of the remaining portion of the fore-part, and a hinging device rigidly connected to the heelpart. pivoted to the rear lower cud of the fore-part and provided with means coi'perating with the instep block in the ctmtractitm ol the latter as the shortening swing of theheel-part takes place.

A last, comprising a transversely divided orepart and heel-part, and permanent connections tor shortening and lengthening the last b v movement ot' the heel-part in a vertical plane` said {ore-part being provided with an instep block ha ving a narrow integral connectitat therewith at its torward lower end extending longitudinally Aol; the gra n ot the wood, said, instep block being raised when the lastparts are.- in lcl'igthencd positiotn the aforesaid construction including provision for auttmxati'f'ally contracting said raised fore-part as tbc last shortens.

4. A last. comprising a fore-part and hcclpart `transversely separated. connecting" means permitting the shortening and length` eningr of the last by movement of thc heelpart in a vertical plane. the said fore-part having a vertically movable instepblock.

means for rendi-ring said last durable and stable. cbnsisting of an integral connect ion betwccn the lower forwardeml of' the instep. block and the rest of the fore-part a lila-ding a strong resistance against movement from normal position. and means for positively holding .said instep block and heel-part against tendency to shift from tht-ir extreme positions toward an opposite position when the last is tully lengthcned and fully .shortened. Y.

.'J. A last, comprising a fore-part and heelpart transversely separated, connecting means permitting the shortening and length- Aenig of the last by movement of the heellll!! llt) part in a vertical plane, saidjore-part havingv a vertically movableinstep block, means for rendering .said last durable `andstable, consisting ci an'integrgl connection between the lower forward end-'of the .instep block and -tlie rest ofthel fore-part affording a strong resistance against movement -from normal position, and meansV for positively locking and bracingthe rear end of said in-4 step block in expanded position.

6. A last, comprising a fore-part and heelpart transversely separated, 'connecting means permitting the shortening and lengthening of the .last by movement of the heelpart in a vertical plane, said ore-pai'thaving a vertically movable instep block, means for rendering said last durable and stable, consisting of an integral Aconnection between theloiver forward end of the instep -block and the rest of the fore-.part affording a strong resistance against movement from normal position, means for positively locking and bracing the rear end of said instep p block in expanded position, and ineansfor maintainingsaid inst p-block and the rear end of the rest otli iore-part against possible-movement away from each other 'when in contracted position.

7. A last, comprising a fore-part and heelpart transversely. separated and connecting means permitting shortening and lengthening movement,- said fore-part having, a

'movable instep block, and means-operated by the lengthening movement of the last'for locking said instep block-in 'full-Waist shoefilling position. A

8. A last, comprising a fore-part and heelpart transverselyseparated, constructed and'v arranged to move relativeiy to each other in a vertical lane for shortening and lenvtliening, said ore-part havin a movable instep block, connecting means etiveen said foie' part and heel-part permittingsaid len liening movement, and automatic means or insuring the movement ofthe fore-part and its instep block to the same full-waist measurements each time the last is moved to.

lengthened position..

9. A. last, comprising a contractible fore-- part 'and swinging heel-part, `connecting means `lsrmitting said swinging movement, Yand automatic means for-insuring the movement of the fore-part to the same disten'ded measurements each time the last is moved to lengthened position.

10. A last, com risinga fore-part having' a vertically movab e instep block, and a heelpart transverselysepara'ted tronnand piv-V oted to, said fore-part to-s'wing into shortened andlengthened position, combined with internal means operated by said swin ing movement'or preventing external slii ing of the instep block in any direction -vvhen the last is in operative distended position in a shoe.

tial shortening movement o"r said shorten and lengthen by Vmovementof the v heel-part in a vertical plane relatively to the fore-part, said fore-part hav-ing a relatively -niovable instep block 'and being capable .of contraction 'and expansion in a vertical direction as the heel-part is moved relatively to said fore-part-,'said last havinv provision for preventing the expansion o the forepart when it is contracted.

12. A last, comprising a fore-part and heel-part transversely separated, and connecting means permitting the shortening and lengtheningof the last by movement of the heel-part in a vertical plane, said foreart havin a vertically movable instep b ook swinging on its toeend into full-Waist shoefilling position and into contracted-waist shoe-releasing position, and automatic means for holding said'instep block against movement from contracted-waist osition to full- Vwaist position when said hee -par't is in lastshortened position.

13. last, comprising a. heel-part, a 4forepart having a vertically swin ing instep. block, a hinge connection vpivotzi y connecting said fore-part and heel-part and haviii an extensionpennanently united with sa block, 'and a locking means arranged to positively hold the parts ronrturiiing on the hinge connection.

'14. A last, comprising a heel-part, s. divided fore art hinged thereto, the hinge pivot. there or, a.` pin in the rear upper portion of tli'e fore-partand a projection moving with, the heel-part and engaging said pin, the engagin ,surface thereof extending in approximatey the direction of swingi movement and being deflected toward the pivot at its rear end.

15. A hinged last, comprising a heel-part and Aa. -divided fore-part, and an a proximately 'horizontal projection movab e with one part to engage the other part, and having aslightly eccentric engaging edge.

16. A hinged last, comprising a heel-part and divided fore-part, a hinge pivotally connectingtlieni, the hinge pivot, and a projection extending from said hinge in engagement with the upper portion oiD the fore-part and provided on' its under side with/an eccentric edgemovable with relation to the pointof said engagement as the last is shortened. p

17., 'A last, comprising a divided fore-part, a heel-part conn'ected to the fore-part to move upwardly to shortened' position and downwardly to len themed position, and provision 'for vertical v contracting said forepart as the heel-part moves to said shortened position, including means permitting the iniheel-part independently o said contracting movement,

1S. A last, comprising o divided fore-part haring a full-waist position and cont'racte'd- Y A waist position, a heel-part connected to the separated from the fore-part along a line extending from the hollow of the foot to the crown next the instep so as to render the i heel-part movable, whenA within the shoe from lengtliened to shortened position, and a transversely longitudinally slotted solid fore-part inovably and permanently connected to said heel-part, the dividingslot of the wooden fore-part entending forwardly and downwardlyin a curved linealoiig or above theportion of the last corresponding tothe widt or most laterally extended portion of the foot viewed on the inside thereof.

20. .A wooden last, comprising 'a heelart Aseparated Vfrom the fore-part along a ineextending from the hollow of tbe foot to the c crown next .the instep so as to .render the heel-part moiyable when within the shoe from lengtnened t`o shortened position, and a trans versely-longitudinally slotted solidifore-part movably and permanently connected to said lheel-part, the upper and lower portions of said fore-part having integral connection A with each other at the toe lengthwiseof the A -grain of the wood, said integral connection A and grain of the wood tending to maintain '35.

said-upperportion of. the fore-part in ei'- treme position, the dividing slot of the forepart extending forwardly and downwardly ma curved line along orV above the widest or most laterally extended portiono the last viewed on the insidethereof. l Y 1 2l. A last, coniprisingra heel-part, a solid Wooden fore-part separated,therefrom'by a line of cut providing a transverse V-shaped opening between the upper portions of said two last-parts, said fore-part being hinged tc thev heellpart and containing a transverselongitudinal 'slot separating the fore-part .into an upper instep portion and a lowery portion, the rear end of the latter extending rearwardly ofY the rear end of the instep portion to a point back of the waist of the last and containing all the wood of the last,

integral and uncut. below that plane or line of the last which'corresponds to the greatest width or most laterallyvv extcndedportion of the last viewedl on the inside thereof.

:22. A last, comprising a wooden heel-part,

-a solid wooden 'fore-part separated .thereironi by a line of cnt providing-a transverse V--sh'apeu opening between the upper p ortions of said two isst-parts, and a hinge-- plate 'pivotally joining said fore-part Aand neel-part having approximately rectangular upper and lower rear corners and extending across said opening into the fore-part, the heel-part and fore-part containing vertical kerfs for said hinge-plate, and transverse retaining pins located in the heel-part in said two corners off the hinge-plate and in the fore-part in the forward lower corner of the hinge-plate, the forward upper end of the heel-part which constitutes the rear wall of said V-shaped opening being located forward of the radial plane which includes the forepart retaining pin and the upper forward corner of the heel-part.

Q3. A last, having its fore- )art and heelpart formed 'lw'ith a V-Sha'pe notch in the upper side and concavo-comex surfaces below said notch', pivotally connected, and a lock in the forni of a flat plate mounted to -slideon the inner end of one last-part, and

a notch for receiving .said plate in the other last-part.

In testimony whereof, l sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN C). KRENTLER. Witnesses MAY E. Korf, CIL-mans F. Btnrox. 

